Heaton Mersey Magic (U10s) High Peak League Match 9
You can have the most talented batters and bowlers, and we have loads of those, but it doesn't always mean you'll win. To be the great team we're becoming takes more:
- Leadership - we are truly blessed to have had Charlie, Dan and Isaac showing some of the smartest cricketing junior brains around, and we've now got Freddie stepping up on Wednesday
- Glue - some players don't get the headlines, but are always there when we win. Funny that...
- Togetherness - looking out for each other, backing each other, and celebrating each other's success
- Next men up. Sometimes your stars from the last match don't fire or can't play, but we have a countless supply of talent to fill any gaps
- Ability to perform under pressure
We've got the above in spades, as this match ably demonstrated!
We lost our superstar keeper Zach H to a footie injury, so in came Tom for our trip to Disley at 09:30 (not Poynton).
It was "mizzling" and very overcast. A good toss for Charlie to win and right choice to bowl. A lot of great work from the NE Cheshire parents to get the game on...
Over to George, the best U10s bowler in our area bar none, to lead the attack. Unlucky not to strike, Charlie kept the pressure on and got our first wicket in the second over. Charlie struck again in the fifth, sandwiched by two run outs with direct hits from the boundary from dead eyes Ben and Ellis. Calum then induced their #4 to pop one up somewhere within the gravitational pull of Alex for another wicket. At halfway we were in complete control. Their best batsman was next. Keeping cool, Charlie went straight back to George to get back control. Hugo and Ellis continued to keep him contained, with the latter feathering the stumps with a beaut. Further wickets for Charlie, George, and a great caught and bowled from Ben kept them to 280 for 10, and a net of 240.
Calum and Ellis to open (spot the pattern), and another great start against some pacey bowling. 222 for 1 (218) so just 23 to win. Ellis in particular played some outstanding, fearless, pulls and hooks, and got one on the helmet for good measure. They are our Hobbs and Sutcliffe (look that one up historians!).
We could relax with Hugo and Alex next. A guaranteed 40 runs. Not this time! NE Cheshire were relentless at hitting the top of middle and off. We were just short of halfway there at the mid innings break. Time for some cool heads from Ben, George, Tom, and Charlie. If anybody was lucky enough to watch England the day before, we needed 4 Bethells.......
This was the "glue" part. Ben played a blinder with 10 from 11 and no wickets lost. George biffed his way to 13 and was super unlucky to be caught when the fielder moved to where he'd just whacked a four. They had us level going to the last pair.
This was pressure, but you couldn't tell it from our captain and wickie. They got us 15 ahead with 2 overs to go. Nearly there but a flurry of wickets could still lose it. Not to worry, they continued to bat with amazing maturity, eventually adding around 40 for no wickets lost. Mersey had reached 315 for 9, and a net score of 279 and a "comfortable" win in the end. Moment of the match to Tom (and Captain Charlie in able support) for that match winning partnership!
Another amazing effort from the team. Every game is setting the bar higher and higher. They are well on the road to becoming one of the most formidable U11 teams around. Please pass on how impressive they have all been this season. Great attitudes and outstanding performances.
Thank you to all the parents. Your amazing support, help with preparing them, and efforts with keeping the scores up-to-date were vital to this latest win. 5 in a row, and all by comfortable margins in the end.
Just one HPL game left on Wednesday, splitting 2 Cheshire ones. Those will be good tests for how far our boys have come this season.
